As Above, So Below is one of those rare found-footage films that actually uses its ‘shaky-cam’ style to tell a smart, high-concept puzzle house-type story. It feels like a cross between The Blair Witch Project and Indiana Jones, seasoned with the claustrophobic dread of The Descent. While that sounds like a lot to juggle, the film blends these influences into a surprisingly effective, low-budget gem.
The story centers on Scarlett Marlowe, a character who plays like a modern, more obsessed version of Lara Croft. She is highly educated, dangerously driven, and entirely unafraid to drag her reluctant "frenemy" and a small film crew into the mouth of madness in her search for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. The relic was said to turn base metals into gold but to attain it their search leads them from ruins in Iraq to the dark catacombs of Paris.
What sets this film apart is its commitment to historical detail. It doesn't just use the Paris Catacombs as a spooky backdrop; it weaves in actual alchemical lore and history to ground the supernatural chaos. By the time the crew is navigating the literal and metaphorical circles of hell, the film has successfully blurred the lines between archaeology and the occult. The shift from intellectual puzzle-solving to a fight for survival is jarring in the best way possible.
The film’s greatest strength lies in its namesake. I did some research after the film and found that the ancient axiom "As above, so below" suggests that the universe mirrors the individual. In Scarlett’s world, this translates to a terrifying reality where the physical traps of the catacombs reflect the internal demons and guilt of the explorers. The deeper they go into the earth, the deeper they are forced to go into their own fractured psyches. The tunnels aren't just haunted; they are responding to the characters' past mistakes.
Sure, the film isn't without its flaws like some of the acting is a bit over-the-top and iverly-dramatic, and it leans heavily on typical found-footage tropes, but for a film of its scale, it punches well above its weight class.
Overall, As Above, So Below is an ambitious, though-provoking horror movie that proves you don't need a massive budget to be both intellectually stimulating and genuinely terrifying. It’s a descent well worth taking, even if it doesn't totally pull it off.
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